Little Warriors
by Salty Hakuouki
Summary: Little childhood stories about the Hakuouki characters ! I want to make a story for all of them.
1. Hajime

**Author note : Of course I started with Hajime Saito, (if you know me, it was pretty obvious) but I'm planning of doing one for every Hakuouki guys. I already have ideas for Souji Okita, Ryouma Sakamoto, Sanosuke Harada and Chikage Kazama. Not sure I will update very often though since this is a side project and I have a main one that takes me a lot of time so don't forget to follow if you want to know when there is more ! **

**Yamaguchi Jirô is Saito Hajime's birthname so Jirô is used by the people of this story. **

**Hajime**

Five years old Hajime was concentrated on the single rice grain on his shaking chopsticks. He tried to raise them to his mouth, holding the rice bowl underneath it but his hand was shaking so much that the rice grain fell back.

« Again. »

« Yes, mother. » replied Hajime with a nod, repeating the whole operation.

He managed to grab more rice this time and felt a bit of proudness. He was so hungry that his tummy was aching and growling. He raised his chopsticks again and more than half the food fell back, leaving him only with a few grain to take to his mouth.

« Again. »

« Mother... Can I use my other hand, please ? » asked shyly the boy.

If he were to continue that way, he'd probably take ages to eat that rice that was already cold.

« How dare you contest my orders, Jirô ?! » shouted mother « I said, again ! »

« Yes, mother. Pardon me. » apologized Hajime with tears in his eyes.

His sister Kastu was sewing in the corner of the room and she lifted her gaze to see how his progresses were going. He raised his chopsticks again, trembling. The tears invading his eyes and his respiration becoming shallow were making his hand shake even more and the chopsticks escaped his grip and fell on the floor.

« Enough. » said mother « if you're not willing to make efforts, then you are not worth to eat. » she said, taking the tray away « Go. »

« But mother... » protested Hajime in a broken low voice.

« I said go ! » she shouted and Hajime bowed in respect to his mother before going to the room he shared with his sister Katsu.

His brother Hiroaki was older and he was allowed to have his own room but Hajime didn't care. He prefered sharing it with Katsu anyway. Alone, he started sobbing in a corner, trying to ignore the growling of his stomach. He looked at his right hand and started slapping it with his left.

« Why won't you work ?! » he cried.

« Jirô ? » he heard behind the shoji.

He stood up quickly and wiped the tears from his eyes before hiding his hands behind his back.

« H.. Ha. » he answered.

His sister entered the room, handing him chopsticks and a bowl of rice.

« I stole some when she wasn't looking. » she said with a gentle smile. « Eat. »

« Thank you, Katsu-neesan. » bowed Hajime taking the bowl from his sister's hand.

He put the chopsticks in his left-hand and grabbed the rice with ease. He was so hungry that he was shoving it in his mouth as quickly as he could, not even chewing and he coughed, which made Katsu chuckled.

« Eat slower, you little pig ! » she laughed.

« S...Sorry... » replied Hajime, face red.

« You know, you'll have to stop using that left-hand of yours. » she said with a gentle smile « I won't always be able to steal some rice from mother and I don't want you to starve. »

« I know... » whispered Hajime, starting to cry again « but something's wrong with the right one... It doesn't work properly... »

« If you practice, you'll learn. » said Katsu, plunging her saphir eyes into her little brother's identical pupils « Do it for me, alright ? » she brushed her finger on Hajime's face, wiping the tears « and stop crying all the time. Men don't cry. Do you see father and Hiroaki cry ? »

« N... No... » he sobbed.

« Then don't do it either. You're a man and you'll be a samurai one day. Samurai are strong, they never compromise. And they do not cry. »

« H... Ha... » nodded Hajime, wiping his tears.

He decided that he would be strong, just like father and Hiroaki. And he would be right-handed, as expected from him. From now on, he would use his right hand for everything. Not only eating but playing, doing chores or whatever his mother wanted him to do. He would make Katsu proud.

~~~~

Fourteen years old Hajime was once more sitting at the table with his family but nine years of practice taught him to use his right hand for the everyday tasks and he was eating his food with ease in silence. The house was always so calm now that Katsu left, married. And he knew that it'd soon be his turn even if he had less pressure since he wasn't the heir. Hiroaki and his wife were living with them but they weren't really speaking to young Hajime, leaving him on his own most of the time.

« I heard from your sensei. » said father, abruptly.

Hajime raised his gaze to meet his father's and waited politely for him to continue.

« He told me you weren't improving the slightest. » he continued harshly.

« Pardon me, father. » replied Hajime with humility.

« He said he would not train you any longer and that you have no talent. » he said, ignoring his son's apologies « Can you imagine the dishonor you bring on our house ? »

Hajime remained silent and kept his eyes on his food in submission. He was trying the best he could to be a swordsman like his father and his brother but the movements were feeling so unnatural to him. He was often mistaken, putting his left hand above the right on the shinai and everything was easier then. But the sensei would land his bokken on Hajime's hands with force everytime his hand placement was inadequate, leaving his hands red and aching. In the end, he was pretty happy that it was over.

« From now on, i'll train you myself until you are good enough to be presented to your sensei without shame. » said his father in a tone that wasn't open to discussion.

« Thank you, father. » bowed Hajime, knowing that his father would probably be even harsher than his sensei.

And he was right. The training with his father and brother was torture. The placement of his hands was still as bad and they were hurting his fingers all the time, leaving them red and sometimes in blood.

« You're too weak to be a samurai. » said his father one day. « I will not train you anymore. »

Hajime kept his eyes low, ashamed to not be able to bring proudness to his father. He would never be a samurai. When he was alone, he felt the tears invade his eyes for the first time in nine years and he wiped them away quickly.

_A man doesn't cry. A samurai is strong. He never compromises._

He reported his gaze on the shinai at his feet and looked at it as if he was seeing it for the first time.

_Never compromises..._

He picked up the shinai and passed it in his obi, on his right side. He looked around, hoping no one was there to see him and pretended to unsheathe it with his left hand. The movement came naturally, as if his sword had belonged to his right-side all this time. He repeated the movements he learned at the dojo, his left-hand guiding him and he knew.

He could be a swordsman.

He would be the best left-handed swordsman there ever was.

And he would never compromise again.


	2. Souji

**Second One is Souji Okita ! In my loooong fanfic « What I do not say, I still feel », there is a chapter, part 2 - chapter 2 Izumo, where Saburo Miki extend his leg to make Chizuru fall in front of Okita and Saito while she's walking and reading a book at the same time. It was really a trigger for Okita who came at Chizuru's rescue without hesitation and set Miki straight via a duel. I wanted to make a childhood parallel with Okita :) **

**Souji :**

Nine years old Souji didn't see the older boy extend his leg and tripped. He fell on the ground with his tray of food, breaking the bowl and burning his hands with the spilled miso soup.

« Hey ! Look where you're going, Okita ! » yelled the older boy and everyone laughed.

Souji kept his eyes on the ground and started picking up all the pieces of ceramic to put them back on the tray. Someone, he didn't see who, slapped the back of his head and he closed his hands in reflex, making the ceramic cut deep into his palm.

« Kss... » said Souji between his teeth, feeling the pain of both the boiled miso soup and the ceramic cut.

He didn't stop though and picked everything up to take the tray to the bin. He came back with a cloth to wipe the soup off the wooded floor of the common room and then got back to the kitchen to take another tray.

« Hope you weren't hungry, Okita ! » yelled another kid « because we took all the leftovers ! »

Souji's stomach was growling but there was nothing more to do. He went outside and sat on the balcony. From there, he could see his house where his sister Mitsu was living with her husband... He liked living with Mitsu. She was kind to him. Until she abandoned him here, in the Shieikan hall. He tried to escape at first and he went back to Mitsu a few times but she always brought him back here... And that sensei... Kondou-sensei... He took him back in every damn time. Why ? Of only he could refuse ! Then Mitsu wouldn't have any other choice than to allow Souji to stay !

Speaking of the devil, Kondou-sensei sat next to him on the balcony.

« Is everything alright, Souji ? » he asked.

Souji hated Kondou-sensei. Everything was his fault. He was obligating him to stay here, where everyone was mean to him and he was always coming at him with a smile, as if he was his friend or something. He wasn't his friend. He was his jailer.

« Are you the one who asked the other students to stop making fun of me ? » said Souji abruptly.

« I am. » replied Kondou-sensei with a smile.

« Just mind your own business ! » said Souji, harshly « you made my life even worse, I hate you ! »

Kondou-sensei looked at Souji with compassion and took Souji's hands to look at them. He saw the big cut in the palm, the blisters provoked by the boiled soup. He said nothing. He lifted a bit Souji's sleeve and saw the bruises that Souji didn't wanted him to see.

« Let go of me ! » yelled Souji, furious « that's your fault anyway ! »

But Kondou-sensei still didn't speak. He just looked at him with compassion and affection. Souji hated that look. He wanted Kondou-sensei to hate him, to send him back home. Why was he always so caring ?

In the dojo, when Kondou-sensei was there, everyone was behaving but as soon as he left the room, the kids would land their bokken at Souji with force, sometimes four at a time and he couldn't block all of them. But that was Kondou-sensei's fault. He was leaving the room, allowing the students to be like this with Souji.

« Souji... » started Kondou-sensei but Souji knew he was going to say something nice, something caring... and he didn't want to hear it. How could he hate a man who didn't hate him in return ? And he needed that hate. That hate was a lifeline to grip to so that he wouldn't drown.

« Stop pretending you care ! » he yelled and ran back inside.

As soon as he entered the dormitory, he fell again, nose on the floor.

« Hey ! Look where you're going, Okita ! » said the same older kid who made him fell at dinner time.

Everyone laughed. It was a ritual. Souji was falling like this at least five times a day. And it really got worse since Kondou-sensei asked them to stop. Damn, how much he hated Kondou !

~~~

Twelve years old Souji was dueling to show Kondou-sensei's sensei the quality of Kondou's teaching. Souji couldn't care less about it but his adversary... He was the older kid who was always making him trip, the leader, the one allowing the others to beat Souji with bokkens...

Souji knew he didn't stand a chance. He always tried to defend himself when they were coming at him but they were older, they were stronger, and there were more of them...

The duel wasn't started yet and the student landed his bokken on Souji's head with force before Souji could ready himself. A dull pain invade his head and his vision became red and blurry.

« Souji ! » yelled Kondou-sensei as he ran to him and took him in his arms.

Souji opened wide eyes. The blood was dripping on his face and on the ground... but Kondou wasn't thinking he was a failure. He was there, conforting him, holding him... Like a father.

« Souji, let someone take you to a doctor. » said Kondou-sensei.

« No. » replied Souji, firmly.

« Souji... You're bleeding... » he said with compassion.

« Kondou-sensei... » said Souji with resolve « allow me to fight ! I promise i'll go to the doctor afterwards but please ! Let the duel resume ! »

Kondou plunged his eyes in Souji's emerald ones and smiled. Souji didn't know what he saw... but he was allowing him to fight. Warmth invade his chest and he took back his fighting stance. The past three years, he had practiced, alone, hiding... to be the best of the Shieikan Hall. Now was the time to show them that they would never bully him anymore.

The duel started and the other kid couldn't do anything. Souji wasn't there to demonstrate the Tennen Rishin Ryû. He was there to fight. To win. To take revenge. To hurt. To kill.

« Enough ! » yelled Kondou-sensei and Souji felt like he was getting out of trance.

He took a look at his adversary. He would go to the doctor, as promised to Kondou-sensei but he wouldn't go alone.

He turned to Kondou-sensei, expecting him to scold him or to throw him out the dojo.

« Souji. You shouldn't have done that. » scolded Kondou-sensei with frown brows « but all of you, take note. » he said, reporting his attention on the rest of the students « this is what happen when you bully someone. Souji wasn't right to hurt a comrade but you weren't right to hurt him in the first place. »

Souji smiled and extended his hand to help the older boy get back to his feet but the other turned around. Souji didn't care. He didn't need his friendship.

« Now Souji » said Kondou-sensei « go to the doctor. »

Souji smiled. Kondou-sensei smiled. There was a reason in the end for Souji to be here. There was a reason for him to become a swordsman. He could see it now. He was there to follow Kondou-sensei, who allowed him to take revenge, and he would do so, for the rest of his life.


	3. Sanosuke

**The story about Sano's scar totally gave me back to the futur vibes LoL. So here is his childhood story ! Next one : probably Heisuke. **

« Oy Sano ! » yelled Hayato « whatcha doing up there ?! »

« Shhh. » hissed ten years old Sanosuke, turning to his friend with a finger on his mouth.

He was lying on the ground, on top of a hill with Takeshi and Toshirô, silent. Hayato stopped yelling and joined his friends, crawling on his elbows.

« Hey... Whatcha doing ? » he asked, whispering this time.

The boys were all looking at a bamboo wall on the other side of the hill.

« Two coins that you don't go. » said Toshirô with a grin, speaking to Sanosuke.

« Going where ? What's that ? » asked Hayato again, confused.

Takeshi turned to him, annoyed and explained the situation to the younger boy.

« Kaori, Daisuke's sister is bathing in the onsen behind that bamboo wall. Toshirô says that Sanosuke won't dare to ascend the wall to have a peak. »

« But ain't Daisuke's father a samurai ?! » said Hayato with fear and respect « He could kill you, Sano ! »

Sanosuke was lost in thoughts, his gaze aiming at the bamboo wall. The risk was big. Sano's family were serving Daisuke's father in the Iyo-Matsuyama domain and they were low-ranked chûgen, the in-between class between samurai and commoners. That kind of behavior on the samurai's daughter could bring problems to his family. As he stayed silent, Toshirô chuckled.

« If you're a coward, you can still quit, Sano ! »

Sanosuke turned to his friend with a smile and steel in his eyes.

« I'm no coward. Watch and learn, all of you. » he said, his eyes circling around him to look at the three boys. « Prepare this two coins, Toshi ! » he yelled, moving forward.

« Shit ! He's really doing it, that idiot ! » said Takeshi.

Sanosuke moved as silently as possible until he reached the bamboo wall. Now that it was close, it seemed really high and Sano didn't know how he could do to climb it. He started jumping, trying to find an opening. He looked back at his friends who were encouraging him with smiles and hand movements. He couldn't quit now.

He found a bamboo shorter than the others and used it to go up, his little hands clenching to the wood. Once the first step was done, the rest felt easier and he managed to get to the top, putting his elbows on the wall as support.

Kaori was there, bathing. She was older than Daisuke and she already had breasts and hair on her body. Sano felt his cheek becoming red, looking at her, bathing with a towel on her head. He knew that he wasn't supposed to see this but he couldn't detach his eyes.

« Psss, Sano... » he heard and he looked down to see his friends at the bottom of the wall. « Can you see her ? » they asked with sparkling eyes.

Sano served them a wide smile and put his thumb in the air, victorious.

« Kyaaaaaa ! »

Kaori visibly had spotted the intruder and Sano quickly let his body slid against the wall and ran with his friends to find himself in front of Daisuke.

« Sano ! You son of a bitch ! » he said before sending his fist directly into Sanosuke's eye.

When he got home, he had a black eye and mother wasn't really happy to learn the way he got it.

« But mother, Toshirô dared me ! I had to prove I wasn't a coward ! » he protested.

« One day, someone will dare you to jump off the bridge and you'll do it, stupid ! » she yelled, cleaning his face with force.

The black eye stayed for weeks and Sano was very proud to explain how he got it. The story was getting bigger every time he was telling it. All the village laughed gently. It was a secret to no one that Sanosuke could go to extreme mesures to show his courage.

~~~

A few years later, his family got the right to buy the rank of samurai and Sanosuke was sent to a dojo to learn the spear technique of Hôzôin-ryû. Sanosuke was very talented and he ascended very quickly to the most difficult techniques. No one could beat him except his sensei and he was often demonstrating his skills to the others, taking proudness into his mastery. Maybe he did bully one or two students but to be fair, they deserved it for being so weak.

He returned to his village a samurai, impressing his friends with his spear techniques but one that wasn't impressed was Daisuke, the samurai's son. Sanosuke often dueled with him and he beat him countless time but Daisuke still didn't respect him as a warrior and that was getting on Sano's nerves a lot.

« A spear is a onna-bugeisha's, a female warrior's, weapon » often laughed Daisuke. « You can't be a real samurai fighting like this. »

Every time, that was triggering Sano and he would fight Daisuke and often beat him but Daisuke just wouldn't recognize Sano's talent.

« Hey, I'm sure you don't know how to fight like a man. » he told him one day, handing him a sword.

Sano tried his best to prove him wrong but his sword technique was far from being as good as his spear technique and Daisuke beat him easily.

« See ? » said the samurai's son, his sword above Sanosuke's head. « You have no honor, nothing but a coward. »

« I have as much honor as you do ! » yelled Sanosuke, gritting his teeth « and I'm as much of a samurai ! »

« I bet you don't even know how to seppuku, coming from a chûgen family » he laughed some more.

« You wanna bet ? » replied Sanosuke and he didn't wait for an answer.

He grabbed the sword and opened his kimono, freeing his upper body. He dug the blade inside his stomach and made a big horizontal cut without faltering and without a second thought.

« Sano ! Shit ! » yelled his friends, coming to take the blade out of his hands and helping him out.

« I'm no coward... » whispered Sanosuke before loosing consciousness.

Luckily, the cut wasn't deep and his friends helped him in time. He survived but that episode left him an enormous scar on the abdomen. Sanosuke didn't mind, he was even proud, showing it to anyone who wanted to see it.

Now the whole village had a proof that Harada Sanosuke was no coward.

**Author note : **

**I don't know if you know but Harada's kamon, the crest he used as capitain of the Shinsengumi is a circle with a single horizontal one in the middle. It is belived that it represented his scar on his belly. **

**Real life Harada was also very very proud of this scar ! **


	4. Chikage

**This one can be see as a part of the Neo Alternative Universe since I used the same names and family links than in this AU for the Oni. It can also be just a one shot about Kazama Chikage. Enjoy this small peak in his childhood ! **

**Chikage :**

« This is stupid. »

Pouting, ten years old Chikage, heir of the Kazama clan of the west was looking through the palanquin window. Out of impatience and boredom, he was playing with the wood panel agressively, sliding it to open, close, open, close the window from which he could see by intermissions the landscape outside, boarding the road. The palanquin was agreeably rocking, some men of his clan taking turns to support the heavy carriage which contained the little prince, the princess and a maid. Chikage has been traveling for days now, even weeks. He wanted to get out of this damn box and run in the forest or on the beaches of Kyushu. He wanted to relax his aching members in a hot spring like the ones surrounding his village, the hidden Oni village of the proud Kazama Clan, the most powerful clan ever. Soon, he'll be at its head and then, no one could ever order him around. He'll do everything he likes.

« Kazama-oujisama... » said the timid voice of the maid « can you stop with that window, please ? »

That annoyed him. That woman had no right to ask him to stop. He was a prince. He ignored her superbly and put extra care into sliding the wood panel harder so it would make even more noise. That should teach her.

The pain echoed in his fingers when the metallic fan slapped them and he hastily took away his hands from the window, massaging the throbbing red appendixes.

Ashamed he lifted an apologetic gaze towards his mother, her expression as neutral as ever. He saw her smile before, but never to him. He wasn't important enough yet to earn a smile from his mother. Kazama Yoko was the most powerful and beautiful woman he knew. Unlike the others, who were all brunette, different shades of brown, black, ebony... His mother was a blonde, like him. Her eyes, crimson as fresh blood were as cold as ice, not warm as the liquid, and her skin, paler than any other woman, nearly didn't need any makeup to be as white as the first snow. Everything in her reflected authority, coldness and ruthlessness. She wasn't a woman to show mercy and even more to her son.

« Are we arrived soon, Okaasama ? » asked the boy, shyly.

His mother didn't even bother to answer, using her fan to get a bit of air and ignoring the small being in front of her. Chikage, accustomed to that kind of treatment, clasped his hands back on the window to look at the scenery outside. They weren't on the road anymore and that was a good omen, it meant they were approaching the goal of their journey : the Yukimura Clan of the East, most powerful Oni clan of Honshu. Unlike other vassal clans like Yase or Nagumo, the Yukimura still had some pure bloodlines and not degenerate ones. That was the reason of their journey, witness the new Yukimura heirs and arrange a marriage. They got lucky enough to get a girl amongst their twins. Chikage knew that his mother sometimes regretted for him to be a boy. It was so common. If his father hadn't die, probably he would have get siblings until she eventually gave birth to a girl. They were weaker, in their strength and the speed of their healing, but they were the real commanders, born to rule. If he had a little sister, she probably would have been heir of the Kazama Clan in his place. But that never happened. His father died and he was the only male pure blood Oni left. Yoko never would have fell low enough to dilute her legacy with a lower blood and so, Chikage was the only heir and bound to marry the pure Yukimura princess.

« Kazama-himesama » said a soldier « we are almost there. »

« Good. » replied Yoko without even looking out « find somewhere to settle so we could prepare our entry. »

Chikage looked at the guard bowing outside and soon, the palanquin stopped. He waited as suitable for a lower being to open the door for them and he let his mother go first, despite his impatience. When he finally stepped out, he felt elated after so long locked in that box.

The metal fan landed on his head and he put both hands on the top of it, nearly in tears.

« Wipe that stupid smile off your face. » ordered Yoko « that doesn't suit a prince. And if you cry, I'll give you a reason to cry. »

Not eager to be hit again, Chikage swallowed back his tears and stayed still until two maid arrived to undress him, wash the sweat off his body and replace his comfortable traveling kimono with a silk hakama and an orned kimono and haori, both of them proudly sporting the three peaches kamon of the Kazama clan. Another maid combed his blond mane and perfumed it with a delicate fragrance of jasmine. When he was ready, they asked him politely to wait near the carriage for his mother to be ready. Pouting, he sat on a rock, cheeks in his hands and elbows on his knees and waited. It took a long time but his mother eventually came back, with a beautiful ostentatious kimono sporting the Kazama peaches kamon and her hair in a Date-Hyogo hairstyle, fit for princesses with its butterfly shape. With a glare, she asked him to get back in the palanquin and Chikage complied immediately, the journey resuming.

One hour later, they were arrived and they entered the Yukimura hidden village.

« Yoko-himesama. » bowed their hosts, the head of the Yukimura clan « welcome. »

« Ginko-himesama. » smiled Chikage's mother « it has been too long. Fujitaka-oujisama, it is also a pleasure to see you well. »

Chikage bowed with his mother to Yukimura Ginko and Yukimura Fujitaka, previously Amagiri Fujitaka, the heads of the Yukimura Clan of the east whose family tree he knew by heart, as suitable.

« Is that Chikage ? » asked Ginko with a kind smile « how strong you are already ! »

« Thank you, Ginko-himesama. » bowed Chikage as suitable.

« Come in. » added Fujitaka « Tea is about to be ready and we will show you your accommodation. »

Chikage wasn't really listening anymore but he followed anyway. Protocol, courtesy... that was incredibly boring for a ten years old, even a prince. He wanted to see if there were other kids here, play with little soldiers or with a shinai or a bow, show his value as heir of the Kazama clan, not drink tea.

The maid took their belongings and followed them to the guest quarters of the manor where everything was already ready for them.

« Stay here, Chikage. » ordered Yoko and the boy sat in seiza, obedient « We'll get you when we're finished to discuss. »

« Alright, Okaasama. » he bowed respectfully.

The shoji closed and Chikage stayed alone. He laid on the tatami, looking at the ceiling, then turned on himself and explored the room. He found a vase and two small statues and started to play with them, trying to persuade himself that it was amusing.

« Give me the vase or I'll take it by force ! »

« Haha ! I'm the Kazama prince ! No one can ever defeat me ! Come at me if you dare ! »

He heard some steps in the corridor and quickly put everything back in place but the steps just passed his room without entering. Quiet and alert, he stayed still a while before he peaked outside the room. For a manor, the place was quite empty and since he couldn't hear a thing, he thought that maybe, it wouldn't be a problem for him to go exploring a bit. His mother would be busy for hours anyway.

Taking hesitant little steps, he stealthily got out and started to wander in the manor's corridors until he heard small baby sounds. Curious, he opened the door and looked left and right for witnesses before he got in. He found two babies there and looked at them lengthily. They were almost identical, only their attire could tell them appart. One of these was his bride to be. That was hard to conceptualize.

« Which one of you is Yukimura Chizuru ? » he asked, curious.

« Young prince. » he heard in a deep voice « this is not your place. »

Chikage startled and looked with defiance at the man who was looking at him, arms crossed, his long auburn hair tied in a ponytail and his turquoise eyes piercing him.

« Amagiri Kyujuu. » bowed Chikage, recognizing the Yukimura prince's half brother.

« Get out before your mother finds you, young prince. You have nothing to do here. If you get out now, I will keep this to myself. » he stated.

That man was a half, he had no right to speak to a pure blood that way and that enraged Chikage. Yet, if it was true that he was going to keep this to himself, then maybe it was worth for Chikage to choke on his pride for once. Head down, he quickly passed the man and went back to his room, limit running, to wait for his mother.

During that trip, the marriage of two estimated families was decided but not without a price. It was decided that Amagiri Kyujuu would accompany the Kazama back to Kyushu as Chikage's tutor so he could make sure that he was fit to receive Yukimura Chizuru as a spouse. The prince grew close to his tutor, seeing kind of a father figure in it, despite they only had a ten years difference.

When Chizuru was old enough to voice vows, the nightmare began again and Chikage came back to the Yukimura clan. He was fourteen now, a man, a real one. It had something strange, really, to start to feel desire for the women's flesh and grow interest into their bodies while knowing he was going to exchange vows with a four years old girl.

« I hope she's pretty at least... » he sighed, looking out in the palanquin.

« Do not worry, Kazama-oujisama. » replied Amagiri, arms crossed and eyes closed, trying to sleep.

« I don't worry. » he snorted with arrogance « princes don't worry. »

« Pardon me, Kazama-oujisama. »

Chikage ignored his tutor. At least, this journey was more pleasant than the first one, his mother traveling in another palanquin and not sharing his. The carriage stopped and everyone got to work just like the first one to make him look like a prince even with the long journey. It was a feeling of deja-vu that he would have gladly not have.

« Why aren't they the ones coming ? » he complained in his arrogant voice « Are they above us to make us travel all the time ? »

« Two times in four years seems a rather small inconvenience. » stated Amagiri « and you are the pretendant to the princess. »

« There's only me anyway. » muttered Chikage « I'm the last pure blood prince if they don't want a degenerate bloodline. »

Amagiri didn't answer and soon, they arrived back at the Oni village of the Yukimura clan. There, just like the first time, they were greeted by the princess and prince and their two docile twins. Chikage looked down on the girl and she smiled to him like only small kids can smile, with that genuine innocence that was their trademark. She was a brunette with wide chestnut eyes eating half her face and was kind of pretty, for a kid.

Ignoring the protocol, the girl took hesitant steps towards Chikage and she raised her arms in the air as if she was asking him to pick her up, which wouldn't be proper.

« Can I touch ? » she asked shyly.

« What ? » replied Chikage, confused.

« Can I touch the yellow ? »

« Ah, seems like Chizuru is already drawn to your blond hair, Chikage-oujisama » chuckled Ginko, Chizuru's mother « she means no harm neither insult by calling them yellow. »

After a moment of dullness, Chikage kneeled and let the curious girl run her fingers in his hair which earned him a playful chuckle from Chizuru.

« Yellow is very soft. » she nodded with a smile.

Chikage didn't smile in return, conscious of the gaze of his mother on him and he just stayed impassive, standing up. The other twin, Kaoru, came to take his sister's hand and pull her back to their parents with a glare. Chikage didn't mind. He had no interest in the girl yet. Though, he knew now that no matter what, in ten years, she would be his wife and somehow, it wasn't a disagreeable thought.


End file.
